Ponting to retire after third Test

Ricky Ponting has announced his retirement from international cricket and the third Test against South Africa at Perth will be his final game.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the third and final Test at the WACA, Ponting said that the time was right as he felt that he was not contributing enough for the success of the team.

"A few hours ago I let the team know about my decision to make this Test match my last. At the end of the day it was based on my results and my output in this series so far. I said all along I would continue to play as long as I'm contributing to wins."

"My immediate focus is what we're presented with tomorrow and that's an unbelievable opportunity," he said. "I'm hungrier than ever. I want this win more than any game I've been a part of."

Asked whether there was any single dismissal that prompted the decision to retire or if the selectors forced him to, Ponting said: "There hasn't been one dismissal or one moment, but just a build-up of consistent failure. This is not a decision that was made by the selectors, this was made by me. I'm glad that I have the opportunity to finish on my terms. They've (teammates) never seen me emotional, but they have this morning."

Ever the competitor, Ponting said the time to look back over his career would come after the Perth test, where victory for Australia would see them leapfrog South Africa to return to the top of the test rankings.

"It's a great opportunity. We're going into what I consider to be almost a Grand Final," he said.

"As I said to the boys this morning, I'm hungrier than ever and I want this win probably more than any other game I've played. If we get back to the top of the tree, to the top of the world, there's no better time for me to bow out."

Ponting said he would continue playing domestic cricket for the remainder of the summer with Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.